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ON TO THE SHOW; Robert Yates Racing bounces back to take the Daytona front row.(Motorsports)
Byline: Al Pearce
Six months ago, Robert Yates was about done. He'd been racing for 40 years, the last 18 as owner of a Ford-based team accustomed to winning poles and races, a team good enough to win the 1999 Cup with Dale Jarrett. Until last spring, life was good.
But things began falling apart almost overnight. Jarrett announced in May that he would leave for a Toyota team in the fall, taking sponsor UPS with him. (Mars Candy came onboard to replace the lost income.) Teammate Elliott Sadler didn't wait that long, jumping to Evernham Motorsports in August. RYR lost some high-profile administrators and crewmen and often looked lost and confused. Rumors persisted that the 62-year-old owner was ill and wanted out. It didn't help that lame-duck Jarrett and inexperienced newcomer David Gilliland-who landed his Cup ride after beating the Cup brigade in last August's Busch Series race at Kentucky-weren't running well. For the first time since its inception, Robert Yates Racing seemed irrelevant.
Yet here it stands six months later, a miracle on the Daytona 500 front row. Gilliland, a 30-year-old Daytona International Speedway rookie, qualified fastest. His 50-year-old teammate, Ricky Rudd, qualified second for his 30th Daytona 500. Gilliland's lap of 186.320 mph was comfortably ahead of Rudd's 185.609 mph and light-years ahead of everyone else. The balance of the top 10: Dodge drivers David Stremme and Juan Pablo Montoya, Ford drivers David Ragan and Boris Said, and Chevrolet drivers Jeff Gordon, Sterling Marlin, Johnny Sauter and Jimmie Johnson.
The session was without incident or suspense. Gilliland's early run was good enough to convince everyone else that they were running for second. Rudd had a shot when he went out late, but a backstretch headwind held him off. The sweep wasn't unexpected; Rudd and Gilliland were 1-2 and 1-3 in Saturday's practice runs. And how's this for trivia: Rudd was already into his Cup career before Gilliland was ...
- Masterfoods USA To Sponsor Second Car at Robert Yates Racing in 2007.
- Press release article from: PR Newswire December 21, 2006 700+ words
...second entry with Robert Yates Racing (RYR...Veteran driver Ricky Rudd will return...Cup Team at Robert Yates Racing is exciting...addition of Ricky Rudd, who provides...William Clements, Ricky Rudd and Robert Yates 800 946-0745...
- NASCAR: Shakeup at Robert Yates Racing.
- News wire article from: Sports Network December 20, 2002 700+ words
...Charlotte, NC (Sports Network) - Owner Robert Yates made sweeping changes to his NASCAR operation...increasing our depth in the personnel area," Robert Yates said. In 2002 Jarrett finished ninth and Ricky Rudd, who will move to the Wood Brothers team...
- Around and About.(Lincoln Electric Co.'s contract with NASCAR's Robert Yates...
- Magazine article from: Industrial Distribution Perriello, Brad April 1, 2007 700+ words
...program is on the move. The welding products manufacturer inked a deal with NASCAR's Robert Yates Racing team, home of drivers David Gilliland, Ricky Rudd and Stephen Leicht. Lincoln will provide the team with a full range of welding and cutting...
- Anatomy of a deal: the genesis of the Elliott Sadler-Ricky Rudd swap was as...
- Magazine article from: Auto Racing Digest Dutton, Monte April 1, 2003 700+ words
...COMPELLING stories in 2002, but the most convoluted--and difficult to fathom--was the process in which Ricky Rudd came to leave Robert Yates Racing and Elliott Sadler came to replace him. After months of wrangling--much of which seemed senseless...
- NASCAR: Rudd should leave Robert Yates Racing now.
- News wire article from: Sports Network September 10, 2002 700+ words
...Network via COMTEX) Loudon, NH (Sports Network) - Now that No.28 Ford Havoline driver Ricky Rudd has announced that he is leaving the Robert Yates team to drive for Wood Brothers in 2003, wouldn't it just be better for all concerned if...
- OH, FOR THE GOOD OLD DAYS; Robert Yates Racing is broken and needs...
- Magazine article from: AutoWeek PEARCE, AL June 5, 2006 700+ words
Byline: AL PEARCE Robert Yates used to walk through...last fall. Today, Robert Yates Racing flounders somewhere...from old to new.'' Robert Yates feels he wasted the...at Pocono with winner Ricky Rudd in 2001), has disappeared...
- Mr. Consistency: he's always in the title hunt--and each year finds his way to...
- Magazine article from: Auto Racing Digest Collie, Ashley Jude June 1, 2002 700+ words
...veterans Such as 45-year-old Ricky Rudd. And few are more consistent than...who drives the No. 28 Ford for Robert Yates Racing--which won the Championship...finishes, and 19 top-10 finishes. RICKY RUDD: I thought it went pretty well...
- WIX Filters Adds Robert Yates Racing to NASCAR Sponsorships.
- Press release article from: PR Newswire May 10, 2001 700+ words
...1999 NASCAR Winston Cup Champions Robert Yates Racing to its stable of product...Dale Jarrett and series veteran Ricky Rudd. WIX provides air, oil and fuel...championship. "Our new association with Robert Yates Racing demonstrates once again...